Newspaper storage and baling rack



April 21, 1954 J. H. CHANDLER 3,129,819

NEWSPAPER STORAGE AND BALING RACK Filed Aug. 27, 1962 i K\\\ /1 M .12 l E J4 7 g A2 g M 15;. J i g ,z INVENTOR.

Jame; (hr/Idler United States Patent 3,129,819 NEWSPAPER STORAGE AND BALING RACK James H. Chandler, 3917 W. 62nd St., Fairway, Kans. Filed Aug. 27, 1962, Ser. No. 219,579 6 (Ilaims. (Cl. 211-50) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in devices for storing and baling newspapers, magazines and the like, and has particular reference to such a device especially adapted for household usage.

Principal objects of the present invention are the provision of a storage and baling rack in which newspapers, magazines or the like may be piled neatly and in which they are readily accessible for reference whenever desired, and wherein the structure is such that when it is desired to dispose of the newspapers or magazines, they may be tied in a bale or bundle without rearrangement thereof and without removing them from the shelf of the rack on which they normally rest, by tying cords thereabout, the novel arrangement of parts permitting the bundle to be both tied and removed from the rack without interference between the rack and the cords.

Another object is the provision of a device of the character described which is readily adjustable to receive newspapers and magazines of various sizes.

Other objects are simplicity and economy of construction, efiiciency and dependability of operation, and adaptability for use in storage and baling of a wide variety of materials.

With these objects in view, as well as other objects which will appear in the course of the specification, reference will be had to the drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a newspaper storage and baling rack embodying the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the same, with a quantity of newspapers stacked therein and tied in a bundle,

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line III-III of FIG. 2, with the newspaper bundle omitted, and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line IV-IV of FIG. 2, with the newspaper bundle omitted.

Like reference numerals apply to similar parts throughout the several views, and the numeral 2 applies to a vertical support panel which may constitute a fiat, rectangular board. A hole 4 is formed through said panel adjacent each corner thereof, through which screws 6 may be inserted to secure the panel to a wall 8 or other suitable supporting structure. Carried by said panel are a pair of rack sections designated generally by the numerals 10 and 12.

Each of rack sections 10 and 12 is formed preferably but not necessarily of sheet metal, and includes a back wall 14, shelf 16, and side wall 18. Back walls 14 are coplanar and disposed in a vertical plane offset outwardly from panel 2, and are spaced apart horizontally, having a space or slot therebetween. Each back wall 14 is provided at both its upper and lower edges with a rearwardly offset flange 22, by means of which the back walls are spaced forwardly from panel 2, and which in turn are secured to said panel by screws 24 inserted through horizontally extending slots 26 of said flanges. By loosening screws 24, back walls 14 may be adjusted horizontally to vary the spacing therebetween, for a purpose to be described presently. The contiguous vertical edges of back walls 14 are each provided with a guard wall 28 extending the full height thereof, and angled rearwardly to engage panel 2.

Shelf 16 of each rack section is affixed at its rearward edge to the lower edge of back wall 14, and extends horizontally forwardly therefrom, and is of coextensive transverse width with said back wall. Said shelves are coplanar and are separated by a space or slot 30. In essence, the two shelves 16 constitute a single shelf divided by slot 30, and back walls 14 constitute a single wall divided by slot 20.

Side wall 18 of each rack section is vertical and disposed at right angles to back wall 14, being affixed at its lower edge to shelf 16 and at its rearward edge to back wall 14. It extends forwardly from said back wall a distance slightly less than one-half the forward extension of shelf 16. The two side walls are of course disposed at the distal sides of shelves 16. Forwardly of side walls 14, the distal edges of shelves 16 are notched inwardly as indicated at 32, and are tapered inwardly toward their forward ends, as indicated at 34, both for purposes which will presently appear.

In use, the newspapers, magazines or the like to be handled are stacked on shelves 16 as indicated at 38 in FIG. 2. Side walls 18 and back walls 14 serve as guides insuring a neat, uniform pile. The spacing between side walls 18 may be adjusted by loosening screws 24 and moving the two rack sections 10 and 12 horizontally relative to each other as previously described, to adjust the rack to newspapers or magazines of different sizes. It will be noted, however, that slots 26 engaging screws 24 are of sufficiently limited length that rack sections cannot be moved so close together as to close slots 20 and 30 between said sections.

When a pile of papers has accumulated to the extent that disposal thereof is desired, it may be tied in a bundle without removing it from the rack. Preferably, a cord 36 (see FIG. 2) is first passed downwardly through slot 20 between back walls 14, or more precisely, through a vertical passage defined by panel 2, the rearward face of the pile 38 of newspapers, and the guard walls 28 of the back walls. The guard walls prevent the end of the cord from entering the spaces between the back walls and panel 2. The opposite reaches of the cord are then brought together and crossed centrally of the pile of papers, as indicated at 40, and then passed transversely outwardly beneath shelves 16, brought upwardly around the sides of the pile, just forwardly from side walls 18, brought together over the top of the pile, and tied as indicated at 42. The fact that side walls 18 have less than one-half of the forward extension of shelves 16 provides that, with average sized newspapers, the side walls will not interfere with the passage of the cord upwardly around the sides of the pile. If newspapers having a narrower front-to-rear dimension are being tied, the pile may be shifted slightly forwardly on the shelf before tying. The bundle of papers is then still held to the rack by the passage of cord 36 under shelves 16, as clearly shown in FIG. 2, but may be disengaged easily from the rack by moving the bundle horizontally forwardly to disengage the cord from said shelves. The inward notching 32 of the distal edges of the shelves provides that the cord will not bind against said shelf edges as it is tied tightly about the bundle, and thus will not interfere with easy forward movement of the bundle. The tapering 34 of the shelf edges is a further aid in preventing binding of the cord on said edges as the bundle is moved forwardly, particularly if the bundle is turned or twisted slightly in a horizontal plane as it is moved forwardly.

While I have shown and described a specific embodiment of my invention, it will be readily apparent that many minor changes of structure and operation could be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. A newspaper storage and baling rack comprising:

(a) a planar support panel disposed in a vertical plane,

(b) a pair of horizontal coplanar shelves each affixed at its rearward edge to said panel and extending forwardly therefrom, said shelves being horizontally spaced apart whereby to define a slot therebetween extending from said panel to the forward edges of saidshelves,

() a pair of vertical back walls each affixed at its lower edge to one of said shelves and being of a width equal to and coextensive with said shelf, said back wall being parallel to but spaced forwardly from said support panel, and

(d) a vertical guard wall fixed to the vertical edge or each of said back walls adjacent the. other of said back walls, said guard wall extending the full height of the associated back wall and being disposed in a plane at right angles to said back wall, and extending from said vertical edge of said back Wall rearwardly to said support panel.

2. A- newspaper storage and baling rack comprising:

(a) a planar support panel disposed in a vertical plane,

(b) a pair of horizontal coplanar shelves each affixed at its rearward edge to said panel and extending forwardly therefrom, said shelves being horizontally spaced apart whereby to define a slot therebetween extending from said panel to the forward edges of said shelves,

(0) a pair of vertical back wall eachaffixed at its lower edge to one of said shelves and being of a width equal to and coextensive with said shelf, said back wall being parallel to but spaced forwardly from said support panel, and

(d) an upstanding vertical side wall-affixed at its lower edge to the edge of each of said shelves distal from the other of said shelves, said side wall extending forwardly from the associated back wall to a point less than half the distance which said shelf extends forwardly from said back wall.

3. A newspaper storage and baling rack comprising:

(a) a planar support panel disposed in a vertical plane,

(b) a pair of horizontal coplanar shelves each affixed at its rearward edge to said panel and extending forwardly therefrom, said shelves being horizontally spaced apart whereby to define a slot therebetween 4 extending from said panel to the forward edges of said shelves,

(c) a pair of vertical back walls each afiixed at its lower edge to one of said shelves and being of a width equal to and coextensive with said shelf, said back wall being parallelto but spaced forwardly from said'support panel,

(d) an upstanding vertical side wall affixed at its lower edge to the edge of each of said shelves distal from the other of said shelves, said side wall extending forwardly from. the associated back wall to a point less than half the distance which said shelf extends forwardly from said back wall, and

(e) means for adjusting the horizontal spacing between said shelves.

4. The structure as defined in claim 3 wherein the distal edges of said shelves, forwardly of said side walls, are offset inwardly to reduce the width of said shelves.

5. The structure as define in claim 3 wherein the distal edges of said shelves, forwardly of said side walls, are angled inwardly toward the forward ends of said shelves, whereby said shelves are taperingly reduced in width.

6. The structure as defined in claim 3 wherein the distal edgesof said shelves, forwardly of said side Walls, are offset inwardly to reduce the width of said shelves, and are angled toward the forward ends of said shelves, whereby said shelves are further and taperingly reduced in width.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A NEWSPAPER STORAGE AND BALING RACK COMPRISING: (A) A PLANAR SUPPORT PANEL DISPOSED IN A VERTICAL PLANE, (B) A PAIR OF HORIZONTAL COPLANAR SHELVES EACH AFFIXED AT ITS REARWARD EDGE TO SAID PANEL AND EXTENDING FORWARDLY THEREFROM, SAID SHELVES BEING HORIZONTALLY SPACED APART WHEREBY TO DEFINE A SLOT THEREBETWEEN EXTENDING FROM SAID PANEL TO THE FORWARD EDGES OF SAID SHELVES, (C) A PAIR OF VERTICAL BACK WALLS EACH AFFIXED AT ITS LOWER EDGE TO ONE OF SAID SHELVES AND BEING OF A WIDTH EQUAL TO AND COEXTENSIVE WITH SAID SHELF, SAID BACK WALL BEING PARALLEL TO BUT SPACED FORWARDLY FROM SAID SUPPORT PANEL, AND (D) A VERTICAL GUARD WALL FIXED TO THE VERTICAL EDGE OR EACH OF SAID BACK WALLS ADJACENT THE OTHER OF SAID BACK WALLS, SAID GUARD WALL EXTENDING THE FULL HEIGHT OF THE ASSOCIATED BACK WALL AND BEING DISPOSED IN A PLANE AT RIGHT ANGLES TO SAID BACK WALL, AND EXTENDING FROM SAID VERTICAL EDGE OF SAID BACK WALL REARWARDLY TO SAID SUPPORT PANEL. 